FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS, I HAVE WORKED TO FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES. I HAVE WATCHED THIS INDUSTRY GROW FROM A FEW OPERATORS WITH LIMITED SERVICE OFFERINGS TO A ROBUST, COMPETITIVE MARKET OF PROVIDERS AND SERVICES THAT REACH INTO EVERY ASPECT OF OUR EVERYDAY LIVES.

TODAY'S FORUM IS DESIGNED TO HIGHLIGHT RURAL APPLICATIONS FOR SATELLITES.

I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF GIVING YOU JUST A GLIMPSE OF THE AWESOME POTENTIAL THAT SATELLITE SERVICES HOLD FOR RURAL CONSUMERS.

IN SEPTEMBER, I TRAVELED TO ALASKA AS PART OF AN OUTREACH INITIATIVE WITH DANE SNOWDEN AND HIS STAFF.

I WAS STRUCK BY THREE THINGS:

FIRST, JUST HOW VAST AND RURAL ALASKA IS.

SECOND, THAT ALTHOUGH HOMES ARE CLUSTERED INTO TIGHT COMMUNITIES, IT MAY BE HUNDREDS OF MILES FROM ONE COMMUNITY TO THE NEXT; AND,

THIRD, THE SPIRIT AND INGENUITY OF ITS PEOPLE.

IN A REGION, CHALLENGED BY EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS, WHERE THE PREFERRED METHOD OF TRANSPORTATION IS PLANE, BOAT OR SNOWMOBILE, AND NO ROADS CONNECT THE GREAT DISTANCES BETWEEN COMMUNITIES, FIGURING OUT HOW TO FACILITATE REAL-TIME COMMUNICATIONS IS NO SMALL FEAT.

IN RESPONSE TO THIS CHALLENGE, ALASKANS HAVE TURNED TO THE ONE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION THAT COULD MEET THEIR BASIC COMMUNICATIONS NEEDS - - SATELLITES.

I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO VISIT SEVEN REMOTE VILLAGES DURING MY TRIP. IN EACH ONE, I SAW SATELLITE DISHES. NO MATTER HOW REMOTE OR ISOLATED THE COMMUNITY, SATELLITE DISHES PROVIDE A VITAL CONNECTION TO THE WORLD BEYOND ITS BORDERS.

AND I WAS ALSO PLEASED TO SEE THAT SATELLITES ARE USED NOW FOR MUCH MORE THAN BASIC COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE. BROADBAND INTERNET, TELEMEDICINE AND DISTANCE LEARNING APPLICATIONS ARE WIDESPREAD. THEY ARE ALSO COST EFFECTIVE, MINIMIZING THE NEED FOR COSTLY AND SOMETIMES HAZARDOUS TRANSPORTATION TO BRING SERVICE TO REMOTE COMMUNITIES. IN FACT, WHAT WE WERE TOLD WAS THAT THE USE OF SATELLITES REDUCES TRANSPORTATION COSTS FOR HEALTH CARE BY 60%.

IN A MOMENT YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT A SATELLITE TELEMEDICINE APPLICATION. BUT I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW THE USE OF SATELLITES, IN ALASKA, HAS EVOLVED FROM A SINGLE VOICE-LINK, OFTEN SHARED BY A COMMUNITY, TO A BROADBAND PIPELINE FOR ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES.

SOME YEARS AGO, ALASKANS SEARCHED FOR A WAY TO BRING EDUCATIONAL CONTENT AND TEACHING TOOLS TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. ONE BOROUGH WORKED WITH STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS, AS WELL AS COMMERCIAL PARTNERS, TO DEVELOP A NETWORK THAT DELIVERED LESSONS VIA SATELLITE TO CLASSROOMS IN 12 REMOTE COMMUNITIES. THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL, THAT THEY ARE MOVING TO A HIGHLY ADVANCED, FULLY SATELLITE-BASED CURRICULUM. THROUGH THE COMMITMENT AND INGENUITY OF PEOPLE LIKE THIS MAN, KARL KOWALSKI, AN I-T PROFESSIONAL,

AND SUPPORT FROM OTHERS LIKE KARL'S WIFE, A SCHOOL TEACHER, THE DISTANCE BARRIER TO LEARNING IS REMOVED FOR STUDENTS IN THESE COMMUNITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES ARE ONLY LIMITED BY THEIR IMAGINATIONS.

I INTRODUCE TO YOU NOW MS. TINA PIDGEON, VICE PRESIDENT FOR REGULATORY AFFAIRS FOR GCI, WHO WAS ALSO ON THE ALASKAN TRIP. TINA WILL HIGHLIGHT A VERY SPECIAL APPLICATION OF SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY. TINA……

THANK YOU TOM.

SATELLITE BASED SERVICES ARE CRITICAL TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN ALASKA, WHICH COVERS AN AREA OF VAST EXPANSE. TO GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE, IF YOU SPLIT ALASKA IN HALF, IT WOULD GO FROM BEING THE LARGEST STATE AHEAD OF TEXAS, TO THE TWO LARGEST STATES AHEAD OF TEXAS.

SATELLITE-BASED SERVICES IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND LIVES OF ALASKANS, PARTICULARLY THOSE ON IN BUSH VILLAGES - PRIMARILY ALASKA NATIVE COMMUNITIES OF UNDER 1,000.

SATELLITES HELP CLOSE THE VAST DISTANCES BETWEEN PEOPLE AND RESOURCES VIA VIDEO CONFERENCING. MOST BUSH VILLAGES DO NOT HAVE RESIDENT DOCTORS, AND NONE HAVE THE TYPES OF SPECIALISTS-INTERNISTS, OPHTHALMOLOGISTS, AND EVEN DENTISTS-THAT MANY OF US IN THE LOWER-48 TAKE FOR GRANTED.

IN EMERGENCY LIFE THREATENING SITUATIONS, THE ALTERNATIVES ARE TO FORGO TREATMENT ALTOGETHER OR FINDING A CHARTER PLANE TO GET TO ANCHORAGE FOR TREATMENT - IMPERFECT OPTIONS FOR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SERVED BY A DIRT LANDING STRIP, WITH NO ROADS IN OR OUT AND THE FOG IS CLOSING IN.

JUST LAST JUNE, THE DOCTORS IN KOTZEBUE FACED THIS VERY SITUATION, WHEN A WOMAN CAME TO THE LOCAL HEALTH CENTER-A FACILITY WITH NO OPERATING ROOM, NO SURGEON, AND NO ANESTHESIA-IN A CRITICAL SITUATION WITH NO TIME FOR TREATMENT, AND THE MEDIVAC GROUNDED BY FOG. WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF A BROADBAND SATELLITE CONNECTION BETWEEN KOTZEBUE AND ANCHORAGE, 550 MILES AWAY, A GENERAL DOCTOR WAS ABLE TO PERFORM LIFE SAVING SURGERY, A TASK THAT FELL TO HIM BECAUSE HE WAS THE ONLY DOCTOR ON STAFF WHO HAD EVER PERFORMED SURGERY.

AS THE ANCHORAGE SPECIALIST SAID, "WHERE PREVIOUSLY WE HAD EARS, NOW WE HAD EYES TOO. I WAS ABLE TO . . . REMOTELY LOOK OVER HIS SHOULDER." AND DR. ORMS, THE KOTZEBUE PHYSICIAN SAID "THE TECHNOLOGY WAS A VITAL PART OF PROVIDING APPROPRIATE CARE FOR THAT PATIENT."

IN THIS CASE A LIFE WAS SAVED BECAUSE OF TECHNOLOGY. IN MANY OTHER CASES, RESIDENTS OF ALASKA'S BUSH COMMUNITIES RECEIVE BETTER TREATMENT, MORE CONSISTENT TREATMENT AND THE IMPROVED HEALTH BENEFITS OF HAVING MEDICAL EXPERTISE AT THEIR FINGERTIPS. AND THESE URBAN BENEFITS ARE DELIVERED TO REMOTE VILLAGES, INSTEAD OF REQUIRING RESIDENTS TO LEAVE THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THEIR CULTURE BEHIND TO ACCESS MODERN ADVANCES.

DOCTORS BETTER DIAGNOSE PATENTS WHEN THEY CAN PHYSICALLY SEE SYMPTOMS AND MONITOR THE PATIENT'S DEMEANOR. COMMUNITY HEALTH AIDES HAVE GREATER CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ADMINISTERING, AND SOMETIMES, LIFE-SAVING GUIDANCE AND INFORMATION IS ONLY A PHONE CALL - OR SATELLITE LINK - AWAY.

THANK YOU TINA.

THESE TWO EXAMPLES SHOW JUST HOW FAR SATELLITE APPLICATIONS HAVE EVOLVED IN A REGION AS REMOTE AS ALASKA. YOU KNOW, THEY SAY THAT NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION. I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN ALASKA IS THAT NECESSITY HAS BEEN THE MOTHER OF INNOVATION. I INVITE YOU TO ATTEND THE SESSIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY WHERE OTHER INNOVATIVE USES OF SATELLITES WILL BE HIGHLIGHTED. THANK YOU.